Clothes washing machine having a suds water saver



Dec. 25, 1962 R. E. GOULD 3,

CLOTHES WASHING MACHINE HAVING A SUDS WATER SAVER Filed Aug. 2, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1' NIdS JdO 7 14 [2; C: a 5 INVENTOR.

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H15 ATTORNEY Dec. 25, 1962 R. E. GOULD 3,0 ,8

CLOTHES WASHING MACHINE HAVING A SUDS WATER SAVER Filed Aug. 2, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Z6 M w m; a; Z2 172 I a V 4 (94 M0 M 0 h w 1/4 7, INVENTOR.

Z Ric/mm z. 60M M H15 ATTORA/f CLUTIES WASHING MACHINE HAVING A SUBS WATER SAVER Richard E. Gould, Dayton, tihio, assignor to General Motors (Iorporation, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Delaware Filed Aug. 2, 1966, Ser. No. 46,921 13 Claims. (Ci. 68-43) This invention relates to a domestic appliance and more particularly to an improved, low cost, manually operable clothes washing machine and suds water saving system.

It is an object of this invention to provide a clothes washing machine with a one-piece casing which may be drawn out of sheet material, such as plastic.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a suds saver system for a low cost washing machine wherein the suds water is retained within a portion of the machine for subsequent reuse.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein preferred embodiments of the present invention are clearly shown.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a low cost washer built in accordance with the concepts of this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a side sectional view taken generally along line 22 in FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 3 is a top elevational view taken along line 3 in FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken along line 44 in FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary sectional view of the control panel of the clothes washer of this invention.

In accordance with this invention and with reference to FIGURE 1, a low cost clothes washer is shown disposed adjacent a laundry tray 12 of conventional type. A flexible water conduit 14 is connected to the clothes washer it} at one end thereof and has at its terminal end a hooked portion 16 which may be disposed either in the laundry tray 12 for draining or in the clothes washer 10 for suds water return or storage, as will be described more fully hereinafter. In general, the external clothes washer structure is comprised of a cylindrical casing 18 having a reentrant bottom portion and carried in an annular support trough or dolly 20 to which are attached a plurality of casters or rollers 22.

The top view of the clothes washer 10 is seen in FIG- URE 3 and includes a top opening 24 closed by a lid 26 liftable by a handle 23. An annular top wall 29 of the clothes washer includes a hose storage port 30 for receiving the hook portion 16 of the conduit 14 when the Washer is not in use.

An electrical control compartment 32 is secured to one Side of the cylindrical casing 18 and includes a top control panel portion 3 (FIGURE 5) on which a plurality of manual controls are exposed. A power supply cord 3'7 conditions the washer solenoids for energization in accordance with the positioning of switches 40 and 42. A switch 36, having On and Off settings, is adapted to electrically energize an agitate and spin mechanism 7t; a switch 38 is adapted to select either a Wash or a Spin operation depending on whether clothes agitation or centrifuging is desired; a switch 40 selects either Hot or Cold water for the particular washing or rinsing operation being performed and has also an Oil? position to terminate water fill; and lastly, a switch 42, when on Store or Drain, conditions the clothes washing apparatus for saving the suds water within the clothes washer and for disposing of the rinse water to the drain and, when the switch 42 is on Suds Return, conditions the clothes washer for returning the saved suds water to the spin tub or to drain. Additional details on this water and suds saving system will be described more fully hereinafter.

Turning now to FIGURE 2, the casing 18 is shown drawn or formed into a cylindrical external shape including a radially outer cylindrical wall portion 46 and a radially inner cylindrical wall portion 48 which merges with a generally horizontal agitate and spin mechanism support partition or bulkhead 50. The inner and outer walls 48 and 46, respectively, are joined by an integral annular bottom wall portion 52, thereby forming a cylindrical generally imperforate casing having an upper water container compartment or chamber 54 and an annular suds water compartment or lower chamber 56 for saving suds water--the compartments 54 and 56 being interconnected along a plane separating the compartments and defined by the horizontal partition 50. A machinery compartment 72 for housing the washer mechanism 70 is bounded by the cylindrical casing wall 4% and the support partition 50.

Note that the entire clothes washing casing and washer mechanism is supported on a movable dolly 20 having an annular channel formed by an outer cylindrical wall 112 and an inner cylindrical wall 114. A central annular horizontal partition 116 is spaced from a bottom wall 118 of the dolly to form a space for facilitating egress of the drain conduit 14 from the washer and any interconnection of electrical conduits between the switches and the controlled components of the washer.

Within the water container compartment 54 is disposed a generally imperforate spin tub or water container 58 having a top opening 60, an annular ballast ring 62 and a plurality of outflow ports 64 for passing the water centrifuged from the spin tub 58 when it is rotated. An agitator 66 is disposed Within the spin tub 58 and adapted for vertical reciprocation.

For selectively reciprocating the agitator 66 and ro tating the spin tab 58, the agitating and spinning mechanism shown generally at 70 is disposed in the machinery or mechanism compartment 72. In keeping with the tenor of this invention, the agitate and spin mechanism 76 should be dependable and relatively inexpensive to manufacture and maintain. For additional details on one agitating and spinning mechanism '70 suitable for use with this invention, reference may be had to the copending application Serial No. 5,174, filed January 28, 1960, and assigned to the same assignee as the instant invention. Of course, it is within the purview of this teaching to use any mechanism which can selectively motivate an agitator and rotate a tub. Suifice it to recognize that the mechanism 70 is carried on the partition or bulkhead 50 through a resilient inverted cup-shaped mechanism support 74, fastened as at 76 to the bulkhead Sti. The mechanism 70 is of a type: having a plurality of concentric shafts, one of which is connected to the agitator 66 and adapted for vertical reciprocation when a reversible driving motor or prime mover 71 is operated in one direction and the other of which is a cylindrical shaft connected to the spin tub 58 for rotation of the spin tub when the motor 71 is adapted for a reverse operation. The selection of either agitation or spin is made on the control panel 34 with the switch 38. In the case of the mechanism 70, the switch 38 merely conditions the reversible motor 71 for the desired operation. The switch 36 actually turns the motor 71 on or off. Since this is a low production cost washer, the controls are intended to be manually operated. in accordance with the users desires.

In addition to the support afforded by the resilient cup-shaped mechanism support piece 74, an afiixed transverse cross brace bar 80 spans the diameter of the annular cabinet support dolly and carries a vibration dampening or mechanism snubber arrangement 82. A depending bracket portion 84 integrally associated with the mechanism 7% rests within the snuo'osr arrangement 82 and is restrained thereby to limit exaggerated oscillations of the mechanism during tub unbalance.

For removing water from the clothes washer 10, the mechanism 70 is provided with a pump 86 in direct drive relationship with the motor '71 and having an inlet 38 and an outlet 90. Note that the conduit or hose 1" is connected to the outlet 90 of the pump and threaded through an opening in the sides of the dolly 20. Once free of the washer 10, the hose hook portion 16 can be moved from place to place in accordance with the desires of the user for either draining the clothes washer or pumping the suds water back into the spin tub 58, as will be described more fully hereinafter.

From any suitable domestic source, water is supplied to the washer 10 through a flexible hot water inlet conduit or hose 94 and a flexible cold water conduit or hose 96 threadedly connected to stub inlet connectors of a water valve 3. The Valve 98 may be manipulated by the control switch 4% which, by energizing or deenergizing varve operating solenoids, selects either hot or cold water. The selected water, either hot or cold, will flow through an outlet conduit 1% from the valve 98 to the spin tub 58, a chute 1632 spanning the distance between the terminal end of the conduit 1G0 and the opening 6 of the spin tub. If the user wishes a warm water fill for either wash or rinse, it will be necessary merely to flip the switch to Hot until the tub 53 is approximately one half full and then to Cold to fill the remainder of the tub. When the desired quantity of fill is attained, the switch 40 is positioned on Ofi to shut off all Water supply.

The suds water saving system of this invention will now be described more fully in connection with FIG- URES 2 and 4. A suds water or rinse water diverter valve 12% is supported adjacent the radially inner wall of the dolly 20 and includes a. stub outlet 1.22 connected by way of a conduit 124 with the inlet 88 of the pump 86. In addition, the diverter valve 1% has a rinse water inlet fitting 126 and a suds water inlet fitting 123, terminating inwardly of the valve body to form valve seats at right angles to each other. Disposed within the chamber of the diverter valve is a flap valve member 130 movable between a solid line position (FIGURE 2) wherein said suds water inlet 128 is blocked and a phantorn line position wherein said rinse water inlet 126 is blocked. For actuating the valve 139, a solenoid 132 is secured within the mechanism compartment 72 and connected to the valve actuating lever 134 externally of said diverter valve 126. Thus, when the solenoid 132 is energized, the valve 130 is moved from the solid line position illustrated into blocking engagement with the rinse water inlet 126. With the solenoid deenergized, the solid line position is again assumed and the suds water inlet blocked. Connecting the rinse water inlet with the wash compartment 54 is a conduit 136 which passes through the support partition or bulkhead 5G by means of a hollow rinse water outlet fitting 149. it should be noted that the solenoid 132 is operated by the control panel switch 42. When the switch 32 is in the lefthand Store Or Drain position (FIGURE 5), the solenoid is deenergized and the valve 13% is in blocking engagement with the suds water inlet fitting 128. When the switch 42 is in the Suds Return position, the solenoid 132 is energized to pull the valve 130 into blocking engagement with the rinse water inlet 126, thereby opening the suds water fitting to the diverter chamber and the pump 86.

In operation the user of the low cost washer 10 manually manipulates the controls to secure the desired function at the desired time. For instance, after clothes are disposed within the spin tub 58, the operator will plug in the cord 37 and turn the water valve switch 4'8 to the desired setting-either Hot or Cold water fill. When the tub is full of water at the desired temperature, the switch 40 is moved to Oil. Next, the operator turns the switch 38 to the Wash setting to condition the reversible motor 71 for the proper direction of rotation and subsequently turns the mechanism switch 36 to On. Thus, the mechanism 70 will vertically reciprocate the agitator 66 for washing and agitating the clothing. After the operator believes the clothing have been washed long enough, she will flip the switch 36 to Otf and the switch 33 to the Spin position. When the switch 36 is again turned to On, the dirty suds water will be centrifuged through the outlet ports 64 of the spin tub into the washing compartment 54. Assuming that the operator wishes to save this suds water, the switch 42 will be in the Store Or Drain position and the valve will be in the solid line position of FIGURE 2. Thus, the sudsy water will fill the annular suds compartment 56.

A rinse generally follows the wash operation. With the mechanism switch 36 on OIT, the user will turn the water supply on again and select the desired rinse temerature, either Hot or Cold, by the switch 40. The rinse water wi l fill the spin tub 5" until the switch 40 is turned to Off and the user will again energize the mechanism 70 for the wash acti0nthe switches 36 and 33 being placed in the positions seen in FIGURE 5. After the desired length of rinse agitation, the user may deenergize the motor 71 with the switch 36; then fiip the switch 38 to Spin and reenergize the motor 71 with switch 36 to spin off the rinse water from the spin tub 58. At this point, note that the closing of the suds water inlet 128 opens the inlet 126 and the rinse water swirling into the washing compartment 54 will drain through the outlet 140 and conduit 136 to the diverter valve 120. Since the mechanism motor 71 is also driving the pump 8d, the rinse water will be pumped by way of the conduit 14 to the drain in the laundry tray 12, as seen in FIGURE 1. Of course, the operator may have as many rinses as she desires simply by repeating the foregoing operation. The illustrated washer structure will keep the suds water substantially segregated from the subsequent rinses. However, in order to prevent further any undue mixing of the rinse water with the suds water along the plane defined by the partition 54 it is within the purview of this invention to dispose an annular shield or bafiie (not shown) projecting slight- 1y radially inwardly from the cylindrical wall portion 46 just above the plane of the partition 59 and terminating short of the casing wall 48. This baffle will tend to slow the swirling rinse water so that it may flow smoothly to the drain outlet 146 without unduly disturbing or commingling with the suds water retained in the compartment 56.

Upon subsequent loading of the spin tub 53 for additional wash cycles, the operator will position the hooked portion 16 of the drain conduit 14 over the edge of the top opening 69 of the spin tub. Then, she will position the switch 42 in the Suds Return position and energize the mechanism '76 by turning the switch 36 to On and the switch 38 to Wash. It will be noted that the energization of the solenoid 132 through the switch 42 will open the suds water inlet 128 so the pump can then return the suds water to the spin tub 58 for a subsequent wash cycle.

After all the consecutive washings are completed, the hose portion 16 is placed in the laundry tray 12 and the compartment 56 drainedswitch 42 on Suds Return, switch 36 on On and switch 33 on Wash. The shutdown of the washer 10 is complete when the hooked hose portion 16 is placed in the casing hose storage hole 30 and the plug 37 removed from the power source.

It should now be seen that a low cost washer has been provided with a simplified suds saving system. Further, the design of the washer lends itself to simplified manufacturing operations wherein the casing may be formed by a drawing process from either a plastic or metallic sheet. The washer of this invention provides the user with the maximum in operational flexibility together with the operating efiiciencies attributed to a suds saving system.

While the embodiments of the present invention as herein disclosed, constitute preferred forms, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. A clothes washing machine comprising a one-piece drawable casing forming an annular depending lower compartment and a cylindrical upper compartment in continuously open communication with said lower compartment along a plane separating said compartments, a spin tub disposed in said upper compartment and adapted to contain water, an agitator in said spin tub, an agitating and spinning mechanism resiliently carried by said casing and connected to said spin tub and said agitator for manually selectively motivating said agitator to wash said clothes and rotating said spin tub to transfer said water from said tub to said compartments during sequential wash, rinse and spin operations, water supply means for manually selectively supplying hot and cold wash water during said wash operation and rinse water during said rinse operation to said spin tub, and means for conserving said wash Water, said wash water conserving means including a pump driven by said agitating and spinning mechanism and having a pump inlet and a pump outlet, a conduit means connected to said pump outlet and selectively manually movable to alternate drain and wash water return positions externally of said casing, means in said casing forming a diverter chamber connected to said pump inlet and having a wash water inlet connected to to said lower compartment and a rinse water inlet connected to said upper compartment at said plane separating said compartments, a valve in said chamber selectively movable into blocking engagement with said wash water inlet or'said rinse water inlet and solenoid means connected to said valve and manually actuatable after said wash operation to move said valve into blocking engagement with said wash water inlet for retaining said wash water in said lower compartment and wasting said rinse water when said conduit is in said drain position and manually actuatable before a subsequent wash operation to move said valve from said blocking engagement with said wash water inlet for effecting the return of said wash water to said spin tub when said conduit is in said wash water return position.

2. A clothes washing machine comprising a casing defining an annular depending lower compartment and a cylindrical upper compartment in continuously open communication with said lower compartment, an upright spin tub disposed in said upper compartment, an agitator in said spin tub, an agitating and spinning mechanism resiliently carried by said casing and connected to said spin tub and said agitator for selectively motivating said agitator to wash said clothes and said spin tub to transfer said water from said tub to said compartments during wash, rinse and spin operations, water supply means for supplying hot and cold wash water and rinse water to said spin tub, and means for conserving said wash water supplied, said wash water conserving means including a pump operable during said operations and having a pump inlet and a pump outlet, a conduit means connected to said pump outlet and selectively manually movable to alternate drain and wash water return positions externally of said casing, means forming a diverter chamber connected to said pump inlet and having a wash water inlet connected to said lower compartment and a rinse water inlet connected to said upper compartment at a point where said compartments are in open communication, and valve means in said chamber for selectively opening and closing said wash water inlet and said rinse water inlet, said last named valve means operable after said wash operation to close said wash water inlet and open said rinse water inlet to retain said wash water in said lower compartment while said rinse water is wasted through said conduit means in said drain position, and said valve means operable before a subsequent wash operation to open said wash water inlet and close said rinse water inlet for conditioning said machine for the return of said wash water to said spin tub when said conduit means is in said Wash water return position.

3. A low cost portable washing apparatus having a onepiece shell including a radially outer cylindrical side-wall, a radially inner cylindrical sidewall and an integral bottom 'wall forming with said sidewalls an annular lower chamher, and a support partition integral with the top of said inner sidewall, a spin tub, said partition and said outer sidewall above said partition forming a cylindrical upper chamber for receiving said spin tub, said upper chamber being in continuous open communication with said lower chamber, diverter valve means for selectively draining said chambers and having a first inlet connected to said upper chamber along a plane separating said chambers, a second inlet connected to said lower chamber and an outlet selectively connected to one of said first and second inlets, an agitator in said spin tub, an agitating and spinning mechanism resiliently carried by said partition and driveably connected to said spin tub and said agitator, and an annular support means having a radially outer support wall in juxtaposition to said radially outer sidewall of said lower chamber and a radially inner support wall in juxtaposition to said radially inner sidewall of said lower chamber for grippingly engaging said shell to support said washing apparatus, said support means including rollers for moving said valve means outlet within draining relationship to a remote drain.

4. The washing apparatus of claim 3 having a pump which includes a pump inlet connected to said diverter valve means outlet and a pump outlet dischargeable through a movable conduit externally of said shell.

5. A low cost washing apparatus having a drawable shell including a radially outer cylindrical sidewall, a radialy inner cylindrical sidewall and a bottom wall forming an annular lower chamber, and a circular generally horizontal support partition integral with said inner sidewall, a spin tub, said outer sidewall above said partition forming a cylindrical upper chamber for receiving said spin tub, said upper chamber being in continuous open communication with said lower chamber along a plane separating said chambers, diverter valve means for selectively draining said chambers and having a first inlet connected to said upper chamber along said plane separating said chambers, 21 second inlet connected to said lower chamber and an outlet selectively connected to one of said first and second inlets, an agitator in said spin tub, an agitating and spinning mechanism resiliently carried by said partition and drivably connected to said spin tub and said agitator, and an annular support means having a transverse snubber support member for stbilizing said agitating and spinning mechanism at the lower end thereof and a plurality of rolling means for movably supporting said washing apparatus, said annular support means having a radially outer support wall in juxtaposition to said radially outer sidewall of said lower chamber and a radially inner support wall in juxtaposition to said radially inner sidewall of said lower chamber for grippingly engaging said shell to support said washing apparatus.

6. A low cost portable washing apparatus having a body including a radially outer cylindrical sidewall, a radially inner cylindrical sidewall and a bottom wall forming an imperforate annular lower chamber, and a support partition overlying the top of said inner sidewall and forming with said inner sidewall a mechanism compartment, a spin tub, said outer sidewall above said partition forming an upper chamber for receiving said spin tub, said upper chamber being in continuous open communication with said lower chamber along a plane separating said chambers, means for supplying water to said spin tub, valve means having a first inlet connected to said upper chamber at said plane separating said compartments, a second inlet connected to said lower chamber, a pump supply outlet and means for selectively connecting one of said first or second inlets to said pump supply outlet, a pump in said compartment having an inlet connected to said pump supply outlet and a manually movable outlet conduit dischargeable manually selectively to a drain or to said spin tub, an agitator in said spin tub, an agitating and spinning mechanism in said compartment resiliently carried by said partition and driveably connected to said pump, said spin tub and said agitator, and a dolly having a transverse support member for stabilizing said agitating and spinning mechanism at the lower end thereof and a plurality of rolling means for movably supporting said washing apparatus between a stored position farther from said drain than the reach of said outlet conduit and a drain position within the reach of said outlet conduit to said drain, said dolly having a radially outer support in juxtaposition to said radially outer sidewall of said lower chamber and a radially inner support in juxtaposition to said radially inner sidewall of said lower chamber for retaining said body to supportsaid washing apparatus.

7. The washing apparatus of claim 6 having a first switch means for controlling said water supply means to fill said spin tub, a second switch means for controlling said mechanism for eitheragitating said agitator to wash or spinning said tub to centrifuge said water into said lower chamber, and third switch means for connecting said pump to said lower chamber when the outlet conduit of said pump is conditioned for discharging into said spin tub.

8. In combination with a clothes washer having a shell formed into an upper compartment for receiving a water container adapted to be rotated for centrifuging the water therefrom and a lower compartment below said upper compartment and in continuous open communication therewith for receiving said water, a suds water saving system comprising water impelling means having an inlet and a manually movable outlet conduit adapted to be manually selectively dischargeable to a drain or into said water container, and diverter valve means having a first connection with the bottom of said upper compartment at a point where said compartments are in open communication, a second connection with the bottom of said lower compartment and a valve movable to control said first and second connections for selectively connecting said inlet to the bottoms of said compartments.

9. In combination with a washer having a shell formed into an upper compartment for receiving a water container adapted to be conditioned to remove the water therefrom and a lower compartment below said upper compartment and in continuous open communication therewith for receiving said water, a suds water saving system comprising water impelling means having an inlet and a manually movable outlet condit adapted to be manually selectively dischargeable to a drain or into said water container, and diverter valve means having a first connection with said upper compartment, a second connection with said lower compartment and a valve operative to control said first and second connections for selectively connecting said inlet to said compartments.

10. In a washing machine, a one-piece drawable casing having side and bottom wall means, said bottom wall means having an integrally formed reentrant portion forming a machinery compartment within said reentrant portion and forming with said sidewall means a water compartment surrounding said reentrant portion, a clothes receiving tub disposed in the upper portion of said casing and having agitating means in said tub, said upper portion of said casing being in continuous open communication with said compartment along a plane, means within said machinery compartment associated with said agitating means for imparting agitation to clothes in said tub, and means for transferring water solely from above said plane to a drain.

11. In a washing machine, a one-piece drawable ca-sing having side and bottom wall means, said bottom wall means having an integrally formed reentrant portion forming a machinery compartment Within said reentrant portion and forming with said sidewall means a water compartment surrounding said reentrant portion, a clothes receiving tub disposed in the upper portion of said casing and having agitating means in said tub, said upper portion of said casing being in continuous open communication with said compartment along a plane, means within said machinery compartment associated with said agitating means for imparting agitation to clothes in said tub,

and means for selectively transferring water between said water compartment and said tub and solely from above said plane to a drain, said last named means including a pump within said machinery compartment.

12. In a washing machine, a one-piece drawable casing having side and bottom wall means, said bottom wall means having an integrally formed reentrant portion forming a machinery compartment within said reentrant portion and forming with said sidewall means a water compartment surrounding said reentrant portion, a clothes receiving tub disposed in the upper portion of said casing and having agitating means in said tub, said upper portion of said casing being in continuous open communication with said compartment along a plane, means within said machinery compartment associated with said agitating means for imparting agitation to clothes in said tub, and means for selectively transferring water between said water compartment and said tub and solely from above said plane to a drain, said last named means including means for spinning said tub so as to centrifugally discharge water therefrom into said Water compartment.

13. In combination with a washer having casing means forming an upper compartment for receiving a water container adapted to be conditioned for removing water therefrom and a lower compartment below said upper compartment and in continuous open communication therewith for receiving said water, a suds water saving system comprising water conveying means having an inlet and an outlet manually adaptable for selectively discharging said water to drain or for reuse in said water container, and control means having a first connection with said upper compartment, a second connection with said lower compartment and valve means operable to control said first and second connections for selectively connecting said conveying means inlet to said compartments.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,161,618 Duham June 6, 1939 2,292,815 Bariffi Aug. 11, 1942 2,297,694 Dunham Oct. 6, 1942 2,298,096 Dunham Oct. 6, 1942 2,454,112 Woodson Nov. 16, 1948 2,625,809 Clark Jan. 20, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 227,112 Switzerland Aug. 2, 1943 

